Good Night, Dear Prince
by Kosh
Summary: Vegeta is an old man on his last legs with cancer. Trunks is the only person in his family still alive to care for him. But can Vegeta get over his arrogance to accept his son's love? *big tissue warning*


Author's note: The song in this fic is called "The Last Song", and the artist who sings it is Elton John.

****

Good Night, Dear Prince

Iridescent green shimmered gently on a twig as the breeze gently rocked it like a cradle. The little caterpillar had just finished the long task to begin it's metamorphosis. It wouldn't be long before it would be ready to break free of it's shell and fly away.

Age-worn, tired and perhaps even slightly senile, a man sat in his rocking chair on the front porch. Wood creaked as he rocked endlessly, thinking of those who had passed before him. His wife was only human; she had passed away from old age years ago. His daughter, though half-Saiyan, had died because of a stupid human disease. Her last months had been agony.

Now that same disease had stricken his aged body, as if it had been waiting for him to grow weak enough for it to take hold. Tumors the size of oranges all over his lungs, liver and kidneys, that's what the doctors had said. He shouldn't be alive, but then again, he wasn't human either. Years before, when he was first diagnosed, he had laughed and said that it wouldn't kill him. He said that he didn't need treatment for it. When he started to get sick from it, the doctors had given him six months.

That had been almost twenty years ago.

Though streaked with gray, his hair still stood up tall like an exotic lion's mane. Fine lines had worked their ways around his lips, which were framed with hints of prickly stubble. Years of scowling had made the wrinkles around his clear coal black eyes permanent. His face may not have changed much, but his body had. He was very thin, but a ghost of the powerful physique he once had still remained.

Though his muscles and health had diminished, his arrogance hadn't. Every day, he would force himself up out of bed to sit outside and watch the sun go down. He called it his 'training'. 

__

Yesterday you came to lift me up  
As light as straw and brittle as a bird

Vegeta's sharp eyes turned towards the sound of an approaching vehicle and followed the middle-aged man that stepped into view after parking.

The younger man's blue eyes shone clearly beneath the fringe of his shiny purple hair. Even after all these years, he'd kept it styled almost exactly the same way as it had been when he was young. He still wore that short Capsule Corporation jacket, or had at least been lucky in finding several that looked exactly like it over the years. And he still carried that sword. To Vegeta, it was like looking in the mirror and seeing himself when he was young.

"Hey, dad." Trunks spoke as he walked up the wooden steps to sit on the bench next to Vegeta's rocking chair.

After Bra and Bulma died, Vegeta had left the Capsule Corporation building. He had flown out into the middle of nowhere and built himself a cabin. Many people had thought he was insane. Others guessed it was grief. Nobody knew why, not even Vegeta himself.

Without turning his head, Vegeta replied flatly with a question, "What are you doing here?"

Trunks brushed off his father's harsh tone and held up a small white paper sack. "I have your pills. Remember? I went and filled your prescription earlier this morning like you told me to."

Scowling, Vegeta wordlessly shook his head and realized that he'd stopped rocking in the chair. The creaking resumed as before, and he let the steady motion calm him. For a moment, it seemed as if he had forgotten Trunks was there, but then he frowned and spoke up, "I did no such thing! I'm not in pain and I don't need any of those stupid pills."

Smiling a little, Trunks shook his head. "OK, dad." Even when he was wrong, his father was still annoyingly stubborn and arguing with him was almost impossible. Little did Vegeta know that he wasn't in pain because Trunks would crush a pill and slip it into his food while he wasn't looking. "Are you sure it's not too cold out here for you?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm going back inside anyway." Vegeta tightened his grip on the arms of the rocking chair, leaned forward and winced as he struggled into a standing position. He gritted his teeth for a moment to fight the grunt of pain that welled up in his throat. 

Trunks sat back and watched his father hobble across the wooden deck towards the door with his head held proudly high. Every shuffling step was taken with agonizing care, and he looked like he was going to fall each time he moved. Being as arrogant as he was, he refused to use a cane or any other assistance to get around.

__

Today I weigh less than a shadow on the wall  
Just one more whisper of a voice unheard

Raising a trembling hand, Vegeta dragged the screen door open and stepped in. Seconds after the screen door banged shut, Trunks heard the crash he had been dreading, and hurried to the door. Through the screen, he could see Vegeta on the floor, spouting curses as he struggled like a turtle on its back in attempt to get up. The air was filled with the 'F' word for several moments.

"Dad!" He pushed the door open and dashed inside. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Vegeta spat angrily as he managed to get into a sitting position. The only part of him that had been hurt by the fall was his pride. Though weak with age and disease, he could still handle a fall like that, but getting up was just about impossible.

Sighing, Trunks placed his hands under Vegeta's armpits and pulled him back to his feet. He kept one hand on the back of his neck while he placed the other on the underside of his knees and lifted him with ease. 

"What are you doing!? I don't need your help!"

"You're going to get it anyway, dad." He replied as he carried his father into the bedroom and put him gently down on the bed. Once again, he had to hide a smile when he saw him arrogantly cross his arms and sit as rigidly as he did when he was young. "Here, your PJ's are on the foot of the bed. You can put them on yourself."

Vegeta's power level rose slightly, then lowered as he grumbled and peeled his shirt off. It took him nearly fifteen minutes just to get his pants off so he could put his PJ's on, but he managed. While he was busy with that, Trunks went into the kitchen, fixed a chocolate milkshake, crushed a pain pill and slipped it in. He carried the milkshake into the room where Vegeta was sitting on the end of the bed like he was waiting for a bus.

"Here." Trunks handed the milkshake to Vegeta. Vegeta's hand trembled so violently that he couldn't get the straw into his mouth, so Trunks held onto the straw for him. "How is it?"

The Saiyan nodded his approval, staying quiet until the gurgling straw indicated that the glass was empty. Trunks put the glass aside, fixed the bed up and let Vegeta climb in. Of course, Vegeta protested a lot, but started to comply when the sleepy stupor effect of the pain pill started to kick in.

"Hey, dad?"

"What." The response was snapped slightly, a statement rather then a question.

"I'm gonna take you somewhere in a few days." Trunks slid his hands into his pockets, a few locks of his shiny purple hair falling into his eyes. He moved one hand to sweep it aside, but it fell right back to where it had been before.

Vegeta slowly turned and curled up on his left side, his back to his son. "Mm…fine…" He was sinking fast into the stupor of sleep, and soon, his soft breathing indicated his departure to the land of dreams.

He smiled, "G'night dad…"

One week passed, but in that week, Vegeta's health had really started to go downhill. He couldn't get out of bed at all, except to go outside in the evening to watch the sunset. Trunks took note of this and decided it was time to take his father on the trip he'd mentioned.

Vegeta's lips were pulled into a definite sneer as he sat hunched over in the little Capsule Car. He was blindfolded, and the radio was driving him up the wall. Trunks was chattering about various different things, but Vegeta was tuning him out as easily as he was tuning out the radio.

The vehicle came to a stop, the engine sputtered to silence and the door clicked open. The car jolted slightly as the door was slammed, and Vegeta felt the door on his side being opened as hands placed themselves on his shoulders.

"What's going on?!" He demanded.

"You'll see." Trunks answered with a smirk as he turned his father to face the direction of the 'little surprise', "Okay, now you can take the blindfold off."

"Finally!" Vegeta snarled, struggling with the blindfold until he could yank it down around his neck like a bandanna. He blinked several times in the bright sunlight and squinted fiercely until his eyes adjusted. It wasn't long until he started to make out the familiar domes of the Capsule Corporation buildings. The shock of being home again brought such a rush of mixed emotions into Vegeta's heart that he didn't know which one to let surface first.

Trunks reached over and lightly clapped a hand onto Vegeta's shoulder, "Welcome home, dad…"

__

Tomorrow leave the windows open  
As fear grows please hold me in your arms  
Won't you help me if you can to shake this anger  
I need your gentle hands to keep me calm

The bedroom was just like Vegeta remembered it, save for the adjustable bed that was set up in the corner. He let Trunks push his wheelchair over there and help him get settled in, even though it was clear that he hated every second of it. On the other hand, Trunks didn't hate it at all. It had been so many years since he'd felt like his father had needed him.

After he'd gotten his father all settled in, Trunks went and fixed him a little something to eat. As always, he snuck a pain pill into the food. In the meantime, Vegeta turned his head to notice that he had a visitor. To him, it was the same man that he'd vowed to kill all those years ago. Same crown of spiked hair, same air-headed attitude and the same ridiculous smile. 

Vegeta crushed a handful of bedsheets in his fist. "What are you doing here, Kakarott?!"

"Vegeta, it's Goten."

"Whatever, Kakarott." He sneered, "What do you want?"

"I heard you were home and I thought I'd come by to say hi. It's been awhile since I last saw you." Goten replied, leaning on the wall next to the bed. He didn't let the shock Saiyan Prince's ailing appearance show too much, but it was hard to do.

"Humph."

"Hey dad, hey Goten." Trunks came into the room with a cup of soup. "Here you go, dad. Lunch is on me." He fixed the tray, settled it into Vegeta's lap and put the cup down. "It's cream chicken, your fave."

The smell of the soup made Vegeta's mouth water, and he snatched the cup so he could drink the contents without even bothering with the spoon. Goten just grinned and shook his head while Trunks sweatdropped. It seemed that Vegeta would never change his eating manners.

"Well, I gotta get going. Bye." Goten turned to the door. "Trunks, if you need anything, just call me or come to my place."

"One of these days, Kakarott…I'm going to kick your ass!" Vegeta mumbled, evoking a laugh from the young man. He settled down again until his eyes fell on something hanging on the wall. "Don't tell me you kept that ridiculous cap…"

Trunks turned his head and looked at the little blue cap with two little protrusions on top that looked like a pair of tiny cat's ears. He'd worn it when he was a baby, and remembering it was still there caused a blush to spread across the bridge of his nose. "Yeah…I did keep it."

Vegeta's expression softened a little, his frown disappearing. A sigh escaped his parted lips, followed by his voice as he spoke in a strangely quiet tone, "I can remember sitting by your crib at night and watching you sleep. You would always kick off your blankets and curl up until I reached down to tuck you back in…"

"Really?" The purple-haired man put his elbows down on the bed and listened to his father speak. "I must have been too young to remember…"

Smirking with a weak cough, Vegeta turned his head to look over at Trunks, "You were too young to remember. Why do you think I'm telling you this?" The smirk disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared. He was starting to feel pain, probably because he was getting resistant to the pain medicine. But so far, he could ignore it, and continued talking, "I was also there when you fell on your ass, trying to take your first steps."

Trunks grinned and nodded, "I remember that…you were laughing so hard at me that I threw a tantrum. Mom started screaming at you to 'stop terrorizing me'." He glanced down at Vegeta to see if he was showing any sign of amusement, but found instead that he had closed his eyes to rest.

Deciding to let him sleep, Trunks quietly got up and walked to the window so he could see outside. Clouds were rolling in, and there was mention of stormy weather on the news. As the clouds grew darker, rain started to fall. Trunks stood there, watching as it ran down the window panes like tears and hit the ground with gentle pitter-patter noises.

__

`Cause I never thought I'd lose  
I only thought I'd win  
I never dreamed I'd feel  
This fire beneath my skin

More days passed. The pain increased more by the day, but Vegeta was too arrogant to complain about it. However, one very stormy evening, his curses of pain woke Trunks from a sound sleep.

Flashes of lightning illuminated the whole room, rain battered the windows and thunder roared as Trunks stumbled into his father's room to see what the shouting was about. He found Vegeta shaking his head from side to side, clutching his stomach as if someone had stabbed him. His power level was shooting up and down, and a grimace had pulled his lips apart to show hints of his still-perfect teeth. Tears of pain were running down his face.

"Dad?" Trunks hurried into the room, grabbed the bottle of emergency pain pills and a glass of water. He managed to get the pill past Vegeta's lips so he had no choice but to swallow. He kept his arms around his father, rocking him back and forth, "I'm here…it's okay…"

It had been so long since Vegeta had felt arms wrap around him that he didn't fight the embrace. Though it felt strange, the way their roles had reversed, he didn't mind it anymore. The calm rocking motion reminded him of the rocking chair, and helped him forget the pain. Sleep soon found him, and he didn't resist it's calm darkness.

In the morning, Trunks got a surprise when Vegeta asked him for help with something. He gladly obliged. Vegeta soon found himself cradled in one arm while a free hand spread shaving cream over his stubble and gently started to trace a razor over it.

Trunks had just finished and was wiping the extra cream from his Vegeta's face when he felt his thin fingers wrap around his wrist. He looked down to find him looking up at him. Curious as to what his father was doing, Trunks's thick purple eyebrows went up slightly.

The Saiyan's chest rose and fell a few times before he could get the strength to speak, the sentence rather spontaneous and oddly-timed, "I love you…son…"

Tears welled up in Trunks's eyes when he heard Vegeta say those words. It was the first time he'd ever heard them from his mouth, even though he knew his father's feelings for him deep down. Hearing them verbally spoken seemed to confirm it completely, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

"I love you too, dad." He whispered, and a few tears trickled down his face. The hand on his wrist moved to his face, wiping them away.

__

I can't believe you love me  
I never thought you'd come  
I guess I misjudged love  
Between a father and his son

Trunks bent his head down so he could touch his lips to Vegeta's temple. Vegeta's nose wrinkled at the gesture, but he didn't complain too much. His only comment was, "Don't think I'm going soft." The comment made them both laugh a little.

All day, they talked about the past. It was like they were catching up on a lifetime of things they never did together, and groans of nostalgia were thick in the air for a few hours. Vegeta did a lot of eye-rolling and Trunks did quite a bit of laughing. Sometimes, the situation was reversed, or one of them would end up blushing.

The conversation finally fell silent when evening was setting in. Trunks fell asleep with his head on the bed, his purple hair falling across his face. Vegeta watched his son sleep for a long time, wondering how it was possible for a grown man to have such childlike features when he slept.

"Trunks…" He whispered as he reached a hand down to touch the younger man's purple hair, "…I'm sorry that I wasn't a better father to you..." A few unbidden tears escaped his eyes, which glittered in the dim light, "You've made me so proud…"

Trunks, who had awakened just enough to hear his father's words, smiled slightly with a sigh. He knew that his pride wouldn't let him say them openly while he was awake. So he just listened, feeling the gentle hand comb through his hair until he was finally lulled back to sleep._  
  
Things we never said come together  
The hidden truth no longer haunting me_

Awakening without knowing why, Trunks was aware of Vegeta's hand still resting on his head. The air was filled with the sound of strange breathing. He lifted his head and turned his blue eyes to look over at his father's face. Vegeta's eyes were closed, and he was wheezing through a half-open mouth. His chest was heaving with each slightly labored breath, and his lips were completely dry. 

Vegeta's eyes snapped open when Trunks reached down and touched his face, and he managed a faint, brief smile when he realized who it was. It was so strange, the way he felt so calm, and tried to speak so he could tell his son what he was feeling. His lips moved, but his voice didn't want to work.

"Shh, dad, it's okay. You don't have to talk." Trunks slid an arm around Vegeta so he could hug him like he had the night of the storm. He looked down to find Vegeta staring up at him with glittering eyes, and felt a hand lock around his wrist. 

The room grew so silent that Trunks nearly jumped out of his skin when Vegeta suddenly drew in a sharp breath and exhaled, the rush of air ruffling his purple hair. He looked down at his father to find him staring blankly up towards the ceiling with a half-open mouth. Vegeta inhaled again, taking several tiny sips of air to fill his lungs completely. His mouth fell open as he exhaled in the form of a long, drawn-out sigh, and his hand moved to rest on his thin chest. 

"Dad…" Trunks whispered as he placed his hand on his father's forehead and brushed a thumb gently over his widow's peak. He looked down into Vegeta's glittering, far-away looking black eyes and felt as if he was looking into the windows of a house where thousands of tiny little candles were slowly going out.

Nearly a full minute of absolute silence passed before Trunks realized that Vegeta had stopped breathing. It had ended so fast, so suddenly, that he didn't know how to feel. He was in a daze as he pulled the still body closer and clutched it to his chest. In his mind, he envisioned a butterfly hatching from it's chrysalis, then looked down at Vegeta's calm face to remind himself that he was only holding an empty shell.

Trunks, using gentle care, brushed his fingertips over Vegeta's eyes to close them, and the bedsheets rustled as he settled him back into bed. Then he pulled the covers up to his chin and sat, staring out the window as shadows of wind-blown tree branches formed dancing shapes on the curtains and walls.

Minutes later, Goten was awakened by someone banging on his door. He dragged himself out of bed, threw on a robe and staggered to the door. "What!?" He stopped when he saw Trunks standing on the front steps with a dazed look in his blue eyes. His hair was weighed down, hanging in clumps and dripping in the rain. "Trunks? What's going on? What are you doing here at three in the morning?"

For several long seconds, Trunks just stared blankly before finally turning his eyes to look towards his friend. His voice shook as he spoke, "My dad just died…" There was a pause, "I…" He shook his head, sending a brief ring of droplets in all directions, and put his hand over his eyes as he slowly started to cry. In saying the words, the realization had finally started to sink in.

Goten wordlessly stepped out onto the porch and put his hand on his best buddy's shoulder, "It's okay…" he whispered. When he saw Trunks shake his head, Goten squeezed his shoulder and pulled him into a hug. "Just let it out, man."

Reassured by the embrace, Trunks grabbed onto Goten's shoulders as silent sobs wracked his body. His sparkling tears were soon mixed with the glistening raindrops that were running down his cheeks.

__

Tonight we touched on the things that were never spoken  
That kind of understanding sets me free

Dressed in a black suit, Trunks stood by the open casket and gazed down at Vegeta. Vegeta was dressed in full Saiyan armor, blue spandex and all. His mouth had been carefully sewn shut so it wouldn't hang open, and his lips seemed to be pulled into a very slight smirk. Except for the paleness of his skin, he looked more asleep then dead. For a few seconds, Trunks half-expected him to sit up and start laughing because it was all a cruel joke.

"Hey." Goten, dressed in a dark gray suit, came over and stood by Trunks, "How are you holding up?"

"I'll live," Trunks heaved a sigh as he closed his tear-swollen eyes for a moment. "If only you'd seen how he went…it's really weird, but I didn't realize he was gone until almost a minute later."

Goten's coat rustled as he reached over and patted Trunks on the back, "I think he wanted it that way. To make it easier for you."

Trunks nodded slowly, causing some of his purple hair to fall across his eyes. He reached up to brush it away, only to have it fall right back where it was. "I guess now he's with mom and Bra now. Probably driving mom nuts." A small, unbidden smile formed on his lips at the thought of two angels arguing and bopping each other over the head with their halos.

Goten smirked a little and stuffed his hands into his pockets as he walked up to the casket. "Vegeta, take care of yourself, wherever you are." He lowered his head and turned away, giving Trunks a final private moment.

As gently as he had done before, Trunks placed his hand on Vegeta's forehead and brushed a thumb over his widow's peak. "I miss you, dad…I always will. I'll never forget you." Tears welled up in his eyes and a lump formed in his throat, but he fought both back to keep his voice steady, "I love you." He moved back a few steps so the casket could be closed, and placed a hand on the smooth surface to bid the person inside a final farewell. A glittering tear fell onto the shiny black wood.

When the casket was lowered to the ground next to Bulma and Bra's grave, Trunks picked up a handful of earth and sprinkled it into the hole. Goten did the same, then gave his friend's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. They were about to leave, but for some reason, Trunks lifted his head to look up at the tree above Vegeta's grave before they did. He smiled slightly at something, then followed his friend to the car. The gentle breeze ruffled his purple hair as he walked, and caused leaves in the tree to shiver.

A butterfly, frightened by the sudden breeze, took off from its perch in the tree, fluttered past Trunks and disappeared into the distance. Glittering dully on the end of a small twig, trembling delicately in the wind where the butterfly had been, was the shell of its chrysalis.

__

`Cause I never thought I'd lose  
I only thought I'd win  
I never dreamed I'd feel  
This fire beneath my skin  
I can't believe you love me  
I never thought you'd come  
I guess I misjudged love  
Between a father and his son…


End file.
